


Love in Our Lakes

by MMRichter



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Babies, Domestic Bliss, F/F, Fluff, Gem Egg Hell, Gemlings, Jasper Redemption (Steven Universe), Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nesting, Original Character(s), Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Redeemed Jasper, Secrets, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, jaspearl - Freeform, just in case, mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21523957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MMRichter/pseuds/MMRichter
Summary: Jasper and Pearl's love leads to some unexpected but beautiful little additions to the Crystal Gem family. The couple all the while discover new things about themselves and each other as they do something the Crystal Gems have never done before.A fluffy and sweet story, but please excuse the admittedly muddled 'science' of it. Any and all feedback is welcome. Please enjoy!
Relationships: Jasper/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 33





	Love in Our Lakes

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by, and I really hope you like it and possibly leave a comment. This is my first time heading into Gem Egg Hell and gemlings; I’ve always loved the idea, so I’m finally trying my writing hand at the AU. Now, this is pure sweetness (because I just needed to write something nice and happy), and I somewhat blasted through writing this. So, please know it’s a little ‘sloppy’; the ‘science’ of this take is admittedly all over the place. I really just wanted to focus on the happiness and emotion, so I admit the fine details are muddled. The only thing that'll be important is that different types of gems have different ways of birthing gemlings. Still, thank you again so much for reading, and I really hope you like it. And here … we … go:

The warp pad burst to life, and a moment later, Jasper shambled down in the temple living room. The sudden activation startled Pearl so much that she jumped at first, but upon seeing Jasper, went rushing over to the orange quartz. Pearl’s excitement quickly dissolved into concern however when she got a closer look. Jasper was in visible distress: her brows were knitted together in discomfort. Her skin was clammy and tacky with cold sweat. Her breath hitched and stuttered in a tense pant. She held her midsection with trembling hands…

Pearl produced a hand towel from her gem and started patting Jasper’s forehead dry. “Jasper, sweetie, are you okay? Did something happen? What’s wrong?”

Jasper’s voice was heavy and strained, as if she was just getting her air back. “Pearl… I have something important to tell you… I can’t deny it anymore.”

Now anxiety was added into Pearl’s concern. “O-Okay… But let’s sit you down first. What happened out there--?”

Jasper took Pearl’s hand in her own, looked into her eyes, and spoke through slow breaths, “Pearl… I’ve been feeling … off … for weeks now. I thought I recognized what was going on … but I didn’t want to get worked up about it too soon … that maybe it was a false alarm … But, no. No. It’s exactly what I thought it was. I can’t put it off any longer…”

“Jasper, you’re starting to scare me… What’s… What’s happening to you?”

The warp pad again flared to life, Pearl looking in that direction while Jasper did not take her eyes off the pale gem. Steven, Connie, Garnet, and Amethyst appeared and went right to the two gems…

Steven exclaimed first, “Jasper, are you okay? You ran off so fast…”

Amethyst added, “Yeah, Jas, that thing didn’t hit you in the gut that hard, did it?”

“Hit you in the gut…?” Pearl soon realized the change of situation and offered. “We can go somewhere alone if you want?”

“No, I have to tell you now…” Jasper paused before she finally forced herself to say aloud, “Pearl, I’m… I’m incubating.”

“What?” Garnet reacted with blunt shock.

Connie asked in similar confusion, “Incubating? Incubating … what?”

Jasper let out a groan of exasperation. “What’s the term humans use…? Pearl … I’m pregnant.”

-XXX-

“I can’t believe this!” Peridot shouted, incredulous as she set up her machine. “How is it even possible?!”

“Not sure about ‘how’ but it’s very possible obviously.” Jasper replied.

The group of gems had gathered in Peridot’s personal lab to get a more precise assessment. Jasper was laying down on a cushioned table with Pearl at her side as Peridot ran a photographic scanner over Jasper’s midsection. As Connie and Amethyst happily watched all the monitors, Steven and Garnet smiled brightly, with Steven barely able to conceal his delight.

Peridot continued reacting, “Yes, I can see it’s real but … How? I’d only heard this was done long ago, and that was only hearsay and conjecture.”

Jasper relayed, “Oh, it’s not ‘done’ now, but it’s still possible for some gems. We all know that Homeworld gems don’t get to test it out. I think some gems can only sire, and some can only carry. I’m pretty sure a lot of S-class quartzes like me can switch: either sire or carry.” Jasper chuckled as a memory came back to her. “I mean, a bunch of us kept saying it was a miracle that EK and Lacey—oh, sorry, Eisenkiesel and Black Lace Agate—didn’t have a whole quarry by now.”

Peridot shook her head in incredulity. “Well, do you know your sire?”

“Are you serious?” Jasper looked to Pearl. “There’s only one gem I’ve been with.” Pearl blushed with a lovestruck smile.

“Right; of course… Okay, I’m getting a reading.” Peridot said before the machines started beeping and signaling. The tech gem looked a nearby monitor and counted out as the machine detected, “1… 2… 3… And 4…”

Jasper’s eyes open wide in shock. “F--… 4? Well, never expected that… That’s a few, huh?”

Pearl tamped her emotions into a more serious mood and spoke sincerely, “Jasper, listen. I want you to know: it’s your choice what we do next, whatever that is…” Jasper looked at Pearl in confusion as her lithe partner continued, “You will have to carry them, endure any hardships, any changes this causes, and you’ll have to live with any and all effects that come from this. Any decision you make will be completely your decision, and I will honor it.”

“Pearl, I don’t think I get—Oh…” Jasper’s mood fell when she understood what Pearl seemed to suggest, asking with a shimmer of dejection, “Oh, did… Did you not want…?”

Pearl almost buckled and had to close her eyes to steady herself. “No matter what, it’s up to you to decide, in whatever way you choose.”

“Pearl, babe, look at me.” Jasper sat up as Pearl slowly opened her eyes. “Pearl, I want to keep them, all of them… Will you still want to be with me?”

After a moment that felt like an hour, Pearl’s eyes lit up. “Yes. I’d hoped you felt the same. Of course, I want to stay with you.”

With her and everyone else in the room exhaling in relief, Jasper said, “Oh, okay. WHEW! Don’t scare me like that… Of course, I want this, especially with you.”

A joyful tear rolled down Pearl’s cheek. “I didn’t want to pressure you, just in case you felt differently. But…” Pearl wiped her eye with a smile then burst with joy as she hugged Jasper around the neck, the orange quartz smiling and chuckling as well. The pale gem asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind being sired by a Pearl?”

Jasper chuckled again. “Babe, I thought we were way past that at this point. Besides, you’re THE Pearl, the Ultimate.” Pearl blushed as she hugged Jasper even tighter. The quartz then asked in turn, “You sure you don’t mind a reject, beta Jasper carrying your little ones?”

Pearl playfully replied, “You mean, I get to have gems with the Ultimate Quartz, the Jasper I love. I don’t have a single complaint.”

With stars in his eyes, Steven said, “OMG! So, this is really happening?!”

Jasper nodded as Pearl practically shouted with joy, “We’re having gemlings!”

-XXX-

Pearl and Jasper sat in the grass atop the temple, enjoying bliss with each other as they looked out over the ocean, occasionally leaning over to kiss each other. Pearl was nestled up to Jasper’s side, hugging Jasper’s arm in her own.

“What do you think they’ll be?” Pearl eventually asked. “Probably tangerine quartzes…”

“Actually, maybe not. Mind you, there weren’t a lot of examples, but… I know there were two Jaspers that ended up with a Citrine. So, it’s not a given what our little ones will be.”

“Well, even more exciting then… Our little ones…” Pearl dreamily said, the thought making her let out a giddy giggle as she hugged Jasper’s arm even closer.

“There’s … something I have warn you about, though… When the date gets close, and they’re just about ready… I’m going to have to go away.” Pearl looked over to her lover curiously and in confusion. Jasper explained, “I know, but trust me… When the date gets closer and closer, I’m going to get a lot more irritable, a lot more scared, and a lot more confrontational, a good bit stronger too. Everyone and everything is going to try to hurt my gems, and I’m not going to hesitate to try to rip them apart. I’m not going to hear anything you say. I’m not going to recognize you’re trying to help me. I’m not going to remember that I love you. I’m going to be dangerous. So, when the time comes, I need to go off on my own until they arrive.”

Pearl had to take a moment to register the new information before finally nodding, “Okay. You know yourself best. We’ll find a nice secluded place for you to go, where you won’t be disturbed. Will you be able to signal us when the moment happens so we can join you again?”

“I think I… No, I will. I will remember to signal when I finally deliver. I’ll get a communicator from Peridot and Bismuth and keep it close until then.”

“Mm…” Pearl reacted, and the couple fell silent again. Pearl then had a thought and dwelled on it until she came to an epiphany. “You’re very knowledgeable about this whole process, how to recognize it, how you’ll react to it, the circumstances… Was it before or after?”

Jasper turned somber and took a moment to compose herself before revealing, “After … but not long after; basically, right after I was reassigned to Yellow Diamond… It was with another Jasper. It wasn’t meant to be serious; we were both just trying to shake off some misery. But … that’s when I found out I can be a Carrier. The other Jasper, she really wasn’t into it and was too freaked out by the whole thing. So, I went it alone, even if there was nothing I really could do about it. I was lucky I didn’t show much, probably because I was only having one, and the madness near the end really fit with me being a soldier.

I got through it, carried her ‘till she was ready, and was really lucky enough to have a gap period and was stationed when she finally popped out.” Jasper giggled as a happy grin grew on her face. “She was so small; I couldn’t believe it. That gap period? Gave me time to look after her while she got her bearings. My own little Jasper…”

“Jasper, that’s so sweet.” Pearl said with a warm smile, saying enchanted, “What happened next? Do you know where she is now?”

“About that…” Jasper’s smile ebbed away, her mood falling back into solemn. “My luck eventually ran out, then took a nosedive. I kept her in the Jasper outpost barracks I was stationed in while I went out on missions. Eventually, the Agates had a surprise inspection, and they found her. She was still tiny, she was still pale orange, her stripes were barely coming in. They just thought she was overcooked.” Pearl let out a gasp of dread and horror before Jasper continued, “She was smart though, so smart. When they came for her, she stretched herself out to full size to fool them.” Jasper again chuckled to herself as she reminisced. “She was still pale, still unstriped, and the kicker? She still didn’t know how to speak very well. She basically just had to grunt through any questions and imitate me. But she got them; she pulled it off.” Pearl smiled again though her dread remained.

Jasper continued, “They still had to take her away to be assigned, since they now figured she just emerged while they weren’t paying attention… I hugged her close, and she was so scared. I had to keep calm, so she would stay calm. I told her not to cry, to stay strong, and I would watch out for her. I still remember the brave face she put on as they took her away…” She had to take a moment to calm her trembling voice. “Because of the status I earned, I was able to mostly keep track of her. I found out she sprouted up quick, so she didn’t have to stretch herself for long. Even bent some rules to go visit her a few times.”

“Jasper…” Pearl was breathless as she dreaded the ultimate outcome.

Jasper placed a hand over Pearl’s. “I kept tabs on her, watched any and all vids of her often. In the meantime, I found some ancient ‘viability’ test and used it to find out I can be a sire or a carrier. So, I knew my options for later. Then…” Jasper struggled to keep herself talking as her sadness only deepened. “Gems birthed from other gems have a higher potential, but it takes them a while longer to develop and grow to full strength… She took a hit in a mission that I could’ve shrugged off … but she couldn’t. She was barely eight cycles old.”

“Oh, Jasper…” Pearl said sorrowfully.

Jasper said as she tried to sniff away tears, “I know; just a life full of nightmares.”

Pearl embraced her lover and began crying as well. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so, so sorry.”

“Thank you…” Jasper hugged Pearl back and shed a few tears. She recovered after a moment to keep going. “But I keep her with me all the time. My cape…” Jasper’s gem glowed briefly as her cape appeared on her shoulders. “I wrapped her up in this when she first woke up, and I used to wrap us both in it when I would hold her. And hey…” Jasper touched Pearl’s face to get her to look up and wiped away Pearl’s tears. “We’re having little gems of our own. They’ll be great. They get to live, and they get to live here, safe and free and a hundred other great things. And we get to stay with them too.”

“You’re right.” Pearl sighed before smiling again. “You’re right. They’ll be beautiful, and we get to love them.”

Jasper nodded with a grateful smile, and the couple leaned into another kiss…

“Pearl?” The couple jumped upon hearing the unexpected voice of Lapis. “Bismuth and Peridot want to talk to you back inside.”

“Oh? Okay, I’m on my way.”

Pearl gave Jasper one more peck on the cheek before getting up as she brushed off the back of her pants and walked past Lapis as she headed back. Jasper and Lapis stood alone together, as always, with awkward silence before Lapis started to leave as well. Suddenly however, the blue gem stopped…

“Jasper…?” Jasper looed over as Lapis turned back to her. “Congratulations.”

Stunned, Jasper didn’t know what to say in response, but soon smiled and nodded at the acceptance… Pearl reentered Peridot’s space where Bismuth, Peridot, Connie, Steven, and Garnet were waiting…

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, Pearl.” Bismuth said as she led Pearl over to the table, “Peridot had some ideas, so she wanted to check some things, run some tests, get some answers, you know…”

“Oh, uh, okay. What do you want to know?” Pearl said as she sat and laid down on the table.

As she and Connie hooked Pearl up to the machine, Peridot asked, “Is it safe to assume you and Jasper … reciprocate?”

“Well, I thought went without saying… Pearl said with a chuckle before seeing how uncomfortable Peridot was. “But I’m guessing that’s not what you are asking.”

Seeing Peridot struggling, Bismuth interjected, “She’s asking if you and Jasper … switch often … giving and receiving.”

Pearl blushed but kept her voice even. “We do, yes.”

“Mmhmm…” Peridot reacted as she turned on the scanners and checked her readings. “And have you and Jasper … been intimate recently?”

Pearl blushed even harder as she nervously said, “Define … ‘recently’.”

Connie explained further, “Peridot thinks Jasper might’ve been gestating for a couple months now. Would you say you’ve been together during that time?”

Pearl swallowed hard. “Yes… Quite, um… Quite a few times in fact.” A terrible possibility hit Pearl, and she gasped in a panic. “Oh, no. Could that have done something to our gemlings?!”

Peridot replied as she began running the scanner over Pearl’s midsection, “That’s doubtful, but I still need to check you.”

Garnet came to Pearl’s side. “Pearl… have you been feeling differently lately?”

“I… I-I don’t think so. With everything that’s been going on and all the new gems around, I’ve barely had time to notice, honestly.”

“You’ve been a lot more protective and accommodating lately.”

“Garnet, my being fussy is not a new occurrence.”

“You’ve also been a lot more tired recently. You’ve barely gone on any combat missions recently either.”

“Like I said, there’s so many new gems and so much more to keep track of. Then, I’m also in a loving relationship. Naturally, I’ve been tired.”

The other gems had been running tests all the while … when the machines started chiming. Peridot stopped dead in her tracks as Steven and Connie both gasped then squealed in delight…

Bismuth laughed. “Well, damn, ain’t that just perfect.”

“Oh, my stars…” Peridot said breathlessly.

Pearl started getting nervous. “What? What does that mean? What’s wrong?”

Garnet said with a chuckle, “Nothing’s wrong. Pearl, look…” 

Pearl finally looked to the machines the others were fixated on and saw on the main screen an internal image of sorts… Pearl’s proverbial ‘heart’ skipped several beats when she recognized. The image showed three small geodes huddled together!

Garnet voiced, “You and Jasper aren’t just having 4 gemlings… Pearl, you’re pregnant too.”

-XXX-

Jasper and Pearl took to the process of nurturing their growing gemlings happily and together in the following weeks. The couple began nesting, preferring to stay in the living area of the temple in a large bundle made of a mattress, blankets, and pillows. Both also developed the same taste for something very particular: volcanic magma and molten iron. Bismuth was able to simulate magma and melted iron while Peridot was able to construct vessels for them to drink their metallic smoothies. The couple still had to be careful not to drop any of their drinks, and Connie and Steven had to stay completely clear while they drank them. 

Pearl became much more stationary and static: mostly staying into the temple, sitting and reclining in the nest, incredibly for her, sleeping very often as well. As time went on, Pearl began to show much more than her partner, her middle swelling as her incubating young flourished. Jasper meanwhile became much more affectionate: nuzzling and cuddling close to Pearl most of the time and becoming very quick to hug everyone, even Connie and Lapis. Jasper didn’t show much but also lost her ability to shrink herself down, so she took up a lot more space with much more difficulty moving around. Another condition soon emerged that made for an uncomfortable situation for everyone else: at intermittent times, Jasper and Pearl’s desire for each other would dramatically spike, and the couple could barely keep their hands off each other. It was then imperative for Garnet and Bismuth to quickly usher Jasper away.

Then, she left. Pearl awoke to find Jasper gone. As more Crystal Gems appeared and stopped in, Pearl asked, and none of them had seen or knew where her quartz lover had gone. Pearl checked the place where Jasper kept her communicator and saw that it too was missing. Pearl’s spirits leapt as she remembered Jasper’s words about her absence and the cause for it: Jasper’s gemlings were close! 

Pearl however was unprepared for her own reaction to her lover’s departure. She was unaware of just how deeply Jasper’s absence would affect her. Pearl’s mood plummeted, feeling nothing short of sheer heartrending loss. She was certain it was an added effect of her carrying gems, but it did not lessen how terribly she missed Jasper. She kept herself composed most of the time, but she would periodically become distraught, crying uncontrollably, and would need several gems to comfort her. 

Three more weeks passed…

-XX-

Sitting in her nest, Pearl suddenly felt an intense pressure on her midsection, her breathing catching as she tried to speak, and quickly she felt the geodes shifting inside her. It was time! Garnet, Peridot, Bismuth, Amethyst, and Steven were already around, noticed her distress, and rushed over to aid her. With some shifting of the blankets around for cushion and some covering of Pearl, the lithe gem began delivering. The geodes progressed steadily, but Pearl’s mood again shattered during it. The other Crystal Gems tried to comfort her, but this time, she was inconsolable. Her anguish however did not diminish her care for her offspring: settling the geodes into their own cradling spots, bundling them in the blankets around her, and nestling them close to each other. 

After nearly an hour, the result was three pristine geodes with brilliant pinkish-red color and almost flawlessly spherical shape. All the other Crystal Gems awed and cooed in adoration as Pearl gathered them up in her lap. Pearl smiled at her unhatched gemlings overjoyed, but it only gives her despair a different bent. The cause however remained the same…

“I need Jasper.” Pearl said through tears, “Please, I need to go to Jasper. Our gemlings need to be around her.”

Amethyst replied gently, “Pearl, it could be a problem to move you. It might be…”

“Please. Please!” Pearl begged. “Our babies, they need her. If there’s any way… if there’s any way… please, please, take us to her.”

The other Crystal Gems were at a complete loss, with no idea what they could do or how to do it. They looked around at each other as they began thinking a course of action … when they noticed Jasper’s locator had been activated…

-XX-

On her retreat on a secluded part of Mask Island, Jasper was wandering and rooting around in her makeshift den. She had been in intense discomfort for days now. She was unable to get comfortable but also couldn’t sit still, both exhausted and restless at once. In her distress and mental fog, she could only focus on her gemlings. Eventually, she felt a familiar pressure in her lower abdomen; her little ones were coming. Jasper got into her fashioned spot lined and surrounded with many soft cushions and blankets and settled down onto all fours… Then, out of her haze, Jasper remembered; she produced her communicator from her gem and pressed the locator signal. The small machine began to pulse with light as it sent its signal. Finally, Jasper set it aside and readied herself…

\----- 

Jasper was not sure of the time with no idea what of how much time had passed. Lying on her cushioned spot on the ground, she was overtaken with exhaustion and soreness. She managed to look next to her and smiled at the beautiful sight there: curled up next to each other in a tight circle were her four resting gemlings. Jasper recognized they looked just like her first, all those millennia ago: they were ashen and colorless at this point; they were smooth and dusty on their outsides; they were small enough to fit in her palm; and they moved so minimally and so slowly they were practically immobile. To human or untrained eyes, they would look a lot like statues. Jasper knew otherwise and that they would still need a little while before they livened up. To her, they were perfect, and Jasper broke into laughter and tears from joy and fatigue.

Suddenly, Jasper heard something mechanical approaching. Ignoring her tired form, the orange quartz lifted herself into a primal stance with her body covering her gemlings. She faced the entrance primed and ready to strike, with her life if needed. Her mouth dropped open as she began panting until she picked up a very familiar scent: a lovely and welcome fragrance … but also three more scents that were very familiar yet also very new and foreign to her. Combining the scents and the sounds led to a very confused Jasper… 

A pristine, tinning voice called out, searching with a hint of desperation, “Jasper? Jasper, darling?!”

“Pearl? Pearl, what are you…?”

“Oh, thank the stars,” Pearl said under her breath before calling out again, “Are you okay, my darling? May I please come in?”

Still very one edge, Jasper asked, “Who are those other three with you?”

“Oh, Jasper, you have to see. Please, may I enter?”

Jasper let out an approving grunt and waited tentatively … then recoiled when she saw how her partner had traveled to her. Pearl was sitting in a bundle of cushions on a robotic walking cart with spindly legs, an obvious Peridot-crafted machine with Bismuth-made modifications. Jasper instead turned her focus back to her beloved. The cart ‘walked’ Pearl close to Jasper and ‘sat’ down, its legs retracting into the frame. Jasper in turn circled around, keeping her body between the cart and her gemlings, and turned sideways so she could keep the gemlings in sight while being close to Pearl.

Pearl gave a beaming smile as she gently uncovered their three geodes, and Jasper was awestruck with mouth agape in wonder and love at the sight of them. She very gently laid her hands on them and again shed tears of joy as she could feel the life and energy growing in them. Jasper leaned down and tenderly kissed each one. Meanwhile, Pearl finally saw under Jasper and laid eyes on the four curled-up gemlings. At first, she recoiled at their unexpected state, but love quickly came, as she made out their little ones’ form: their little arms and legs, their serenely sleeping faces, and their glittering gemstones. Jasper very gently gathered up the geodes and the blankets they were wrapped in, Pearl following right along, and the quartz laid the geodes next to their sisters. Pearl meanwhile gently touched the four gemlings for the first time…

Pearl swooned lovingly and quietly. “Oh, Jasper, they’re all so beautiful. Our babies…”

“Mmhmm…”

Jasper nuzzled and kissed Pearl, and Pearl returned with light kisses of her own. Finally together again, the two gem mothers lied down and curled around their 7 little gems… 

\------ 

Three more weeks passed as Jasper and Pearl warmed, cuddling, and watched over their gemlings as they steadily livened up: Jasper’s exposed gemlings gained color, their hair and skin softened, and they began stirring more often. The geodes pulsed brighter every day, their outer shells thinned, and the movement inside became more and more visible. Eventually, another beautiful day came…

Jasper and Pearl were lying and resting near their offspring. Suddenly, two of the exposed gemlings stirred, wiggled, stretched … and slowly fluttered their eyes open. At the same time, one of the geodes trembled until … the outer shell cracked. The gem couple both sat up as their elation and anticipation spiked. The two gemlings lifted on their tiny, wobbly hands and knees and began mewling, chirping, and peeping. The geode continued to crack and split until, finally, it forced open … and a third gemling emerged. Out of unquestioned instinct, Jasper and Pearl reached their arms forward and softly whispered and cooed to urge their babies forward and toward them. The two gems unsteadily crawled forward, while the third gemling tumbled out of her now-spent geode shell and crawled forward as well. The two ecstatic mothers continued guiding their offspring toward them until the little ones finally reached and cuddled into their mothers’ chests. Pearl and Jasper scooped up their young ones, Jasper wiped away the remaining dust from the two’s forms as they clung to her hair, and Pearl cleared the last remnants of the geode shell from their hatchling as the little one touched the tip of her nose. The couple couldn’t help but kiss and coo to their daughters as the gemlings chirped happily.

However, there was no time to rest yet: Another of the nested gemlings stretched and opened her eyes, while another geode cracked open! Soon, two more gemlings were awake and following their sisters’ path to their mothers. No sooner than those two entered their mothers’ embrace did the final exposed gemling awaken while the final geode split apart. The final two gathered themselves and crawled forward with their sisters even seeming to chirp and peep in guidance as well. After a moment, the two reached and were pulled into the family embrace. 

It took some adjustment, but Jasper and Pearl held and cradled all their gemlings in front of them. The new mothers proceeded with checking and looking over their gemlings: they were all pristine, with no cracks, blemishes, or clouds. They were all healthy and content. Their daughters were all perfect in their mothers’ eyes. Jasper and Pearl shared a celebratory kiss before laying kisses on each of their little ones.

-XXX-

“It’s safe now. Come and meet them.”

That was the message the other Crystal Gems got one calm morning. Jasper and Pearl were away for around a month since the gemlings arrived. They had resumed communication shortly after their daughters woke up, but decided to stay in place, so the little ones could develop some more. Now was the time to rejoin them…

The Crystal Gems made their way into the secluded part of Mask Island, following the signature of Jasper and Pearl’s communicator, and soon came to a cave entrance…

Steven called out gleefully, “Pearl, Jasper, we’re here.”

There was a rush of movement inside, and a moment later, Pearl and Jasper emerged with 7 little Lake Superior Agates! Barely up to Jasper’s knees, still walking on unsteady legs, four of the gemlings toddled around Pearl and Jasper’s legs while the other three were in their mothers’ arms, two held by Jasper and one held by Pearl. The gemlings had manes of white hair, vibrant red color with the beginnings of white banded stripes, and all with big, expressive red eyes. All the other Crystal Gems were awestruck and starry-eyed over the new arrivals and approached.

The gemlings however had their suspicions. Two of the walking gemlings stepped in front of their mothers and pressed their backs against Jasper and Pearl’s legs. These two were practically mirrors of each other, with one’s gem on her left cheek and the other’s is on her right cheek. One of the other standing gemlings disappeared behind Jasper’s legs, and the other hid behind Pearl’s leg. The gemling in Pearl’s arms looked at the other Crystal Gems and recoiled. One in Jasper’s arms looked to the others but then turned back to Jasper uninterested, while the other in Jasper’s arms looked over to them and clung to her mother even harder.

Seeing the gemlings’ reaction, the other gems slowed their approach. The three held ones clutch closer to their mothers, while the twins let out high-pitched chirps at these newcomers. It took a moment until the others realized what the twins were doing. The two gemlings were standing in front of Jasper and Pearl because they were trying to shield their mothers and sisters, and their peeps were attempts at warning growls. Despite the seriousness of the gemlings’ suspicion, a chorus of ‘awws’ still escaped the other Crystal Gems at the little one’s efforts. 

Jasper rearranged the two in her arms onto one arm, Pearl shifted the one in her arms to one arm, and both gently pet their ‘guarding’ daughters to calm them. At the same time, they kissed and nuzzled against the children in their arms to comfort and ease them as well. The twins finally broke eye contact with the other gems to look up; the gemling behind Jasper popped her head out of the top of her mother’s hair, having scurried the quartz’s back; and all the gemlings look to their mothers in uncertainty. Jasper and Pearl in turn gave them calm, confident, and reassuring gestures. 

Finally, Pearl and Jasper waved the rest of the Crystal Gems forward again, and the gemlings finally had their first interactions with other gems. The twins toddled over to Steven with the young gem holding out his arms for them to hold on to and steady themselves. The two little ones began sniffing his head with interest, Steven giggling at their ticklish breaths and puffs as they discover his hair. The twins grew bright smiles … and began nibbling his hair. The others barely had a moment to react before the gemlings spit his hair back out in disgust, the twins groaning at him in seeming offense. Steven was greatly confused and slightly hurt by the two gemlings’ grievance, but Connie pointed out with a laugh, ‘That’s what happens when you smell like candy’.

The gemling on Jasper’s head, her glittering gem on her right shoulder, sat up as she spotted Garnet, and her eyes expanded in wonder. The fusion stepped forward with no need for prompting, and the gemling stood up on her little legs. Jasper got instantly nervous feeling her daughter’s movement and got very still. Everyone else only noticed her right before she made her move. The gemling took sudden, powerful (for her) leap forward, and everyone held their breath as their hearts threatened to stop. The little gem however was very strong and had good aim… PABF! She landed softly on Garnet’s square cushion of hair and began chirping and clapping happily on her new head perch. Garnet couldn’t help giggling with the gemling’s glee as well. 

The gemling in Pearl’s arms, her gemstone on the top of her chest over her ‘heart’, looked at other gems until her eyes locked onto Lapis, and she began to stare intently with her eyes unmoving. The blue gem quickly sensed the little one’s unwavering focus on her and even became slightly disturbed by it. The gemling shifted in Pearl’s arms toward Lapis and held her arms out to the blue gem while flicking her fingers. It took a moment before Lapis realized what the little one wanted. Uneasily, Lapis stepped forward and took the gemling into her arms, with Pearl reaching out as well as secondary protection. The gemling leaned back in Lapis’ hold to look her in the eyes; she eyed Lapis curiously in seeming thought while lightly touching Lapis’ face and hair. For the life of her, Lapis couldn’t what fascinated the little gem and was at loss for what she wanted. Finally, after some more inspection, the gemling hugged Lapis tight around the neck and nuzzled against the blue gem’s cheek. Seemingly satisfied, the gemling reached for Pearl again, and Pearl took her daughter back into her arms as Lapis began to blush.

“She really likes you.” Pearl said with a smile.

Lapis didn’t think she would gush over the little ones like everyone else, but the unexpected affection still touched her, nonetheless. “Yeah, uh… Looks like it. Tell her … thank you, I guess.”

“Jasper…” Amethyst spoke up with uncertainty. “Can I hold one of them?”

“If she lets you…”

Jasper places a comforting kiss and gives a couple comforting whispers to one of the gemlings in her arms, the little one’s gem shimmering from the middle of her forehead, and gently lowered her daughter into Amethyst’s arms. The gemling began nervously chuffing with anxiety from no longer being in her mother’s embrace, causing Jasper to gently rub her hair to calm her. Not crying but visibly uneasy, the little one looked to Amethyst, with the purple quartz trying to look as friendly and non-threatening as possible. Still, the gemling was not at peace, but she then looked down and spotted Amethyst’s gem in her chest. Seeing and being intrigued by her reflection, the little one began touching the purple gem, and eventually lowered her forehead to touch her gem to Amethyst’s.

The light sensation making the quartz giggle and her form to shimmer, Amethyst said through chuckles, “H-Hey… take it easy, pebble; that tickles…” 

The sensations progressed until they made Amethyst start to laugh, and the rumbling chortle vibrated through her chest, bouncing the gemling in her arms. The motion amused the little one, Amethyst’s laugh now making the gemling laugh as well. While Amethyst and one gemling were getting acquainted, the other gemling in Jasper’s arms, the little one’s gem on her right forearm, was very interested in Bismuth and especially Bismuth’s gem, leaning and looking into its inverted center…

Aiding the exploration by sticking her fingers into the space, Bismuth affably added, “I know, it’s weird, right? I’m all inverted.”

Peridot commented, “They sure are inquisitive and surprisingly taciturn—” She was interrupted by the gemling reaching for her. “What? What is it you want…? Is… Is it my spectacles?”

Peridot took off her V-shaped glassed and held them up, and the gemling smiled as she grabbed at them up excitedly. Thus, Peridot handed them to the little gem, who chirped happily in response. The gemling turned the glasses over in her hands before she managed to put them on. She blinked a few times as she looked through the spectacles, but soon she couldn’t take anymore, shaking her head in disturbance. Jasper quickly took the glasses off as her daughter rubbed her eyes to soothe them.

“See? I knew your eyesight was probably askew.” Bismuth said with a laugh, drawing an offended groan from Peridot as the green gem put her glassed back on.

Suddenly, Pearl became aware of empty space behind her. Jasper sensed the same thing and looked around their feet but saw nothing. Pearl looked around behind her at her feet and saw someone missing. One of their little ones was gone.

Pearl quickly said, “Steven? Connie? Could you look after them for a moment?”

As the couple handed the gemlings in their arms to the two teens, Jasper added, “We’ll be right back.”

Pearl and Jasper began looking, scanning the immediate area with their eyes, before turning and rushing back into the den. The gemlings were enjoying the other Crystal Gems, but very quickly noticed their mothers were gone. The twins whine and chirped into the den with the other squirmed and fidgeted until they were placed on the ground. All six rushed into the den as fast as their still-developing little legs could carry them. Jasper and Pearl found the one lonely gemling sitting in the den facing away from the entrance, her gem on her belly button obscured as she hugged her knees, the little gem trembling and crying. 

Both mothers rushed over and knelt next to their daughter, rubbing her tiny back, petting her hair, and kissing her cheeks to comfort her. The gemling turned to them and clung to their arms…

Pearl cooed lovingly to her daughter. “Aw, sweetie, I know. It’s okay. Everything‘s going to be okay. We’re here.”

Jasper added, her voice low and sweet, “You’re safe, precious. Nothing’s gonna hurt you, and we’ll protect you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“Yes. Those other gems, they’re your friends and family. They’ll only love you like we do.”

“Yeah, and they’ll look after you and play with you. You’ll have so much fun with them.”

An echoing chorus of peeps and mew alerted the gem mothers and daughter and looked over to see the small parade of gemlings coming to them. The gemlings crowded their scared sister and shower her, happily squeaking at her, excitedly bouncing up and down, nuzzling and nudging her forward. The gemlings even started to pull her forward but Pearl and Jasper stopped them, their daughters looking to them in confusion…

Jasper softly said, “Can’t force her, girls.”

Pearl added, “Not if she’s not ready, not if she doesn’t want to.” 

The scared gemling looked to her sisters then her mother then back again… Finally, she stood up, took Jasper’s pant leg in one little hand, took Pearl’s in the opposite hand, and looked up at her mothers with strengthened resolve. Pearl and Jasper became overwhelmed with pride and joy at her and her supportive sisters, the other gemlings going back to excitedly bouncing about. With that, Jasper, Pearl, and their 7 beloved Lake Superior Agate gemlings exited the cave together to rejoin their family.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: There we have it. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you liked it. Just as an explanation, as I wrote at the beginning, different gems birth gemlings differently in this story; naturally, Pearl's was based on birds, and Jasper's was based on cats. Thank you again so much for reading! Any and all feedback is welcome, so feel free to leave a comment. I really hope you liked it, and I really hope you read more from. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.


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